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Camera IconPERTH, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Sam Whiteman of the Scorchers bats during the Big Bash League match between the Perth Scorchers and the Hobart Hurricanes at Optus Stadium on January 18, 2019 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Injury, defeat sour Sam Whiteman’s big moment for the Perth Scorchers

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Sam Whiteman has told of his anguish after his superb knock on Friday night was soured by injury and a devastating defeat for Perth Scorchers.

The wicketkeeper-batsman rescued his side from desperate trouble at 3-7, with his plucky 68 from 44 balls and some brilliant late hitting from AJ Tye and Nathan Coulter-Nile lifting the Scorchers to a competitive total against Hobart Hurricanes at Optus Stadium.

But Whiteman, once viewed as Australia’s next Test keeper, was unable to take his place behind the stumps, instead spending the second innings watching from the dugout icing a suspected quad strain.

Having been overlooked during the tournament for fellow keeper-batsmen Cam Bancroft and Josh Inglis, the 26-year-old said it would be disappointing if he now lost his place due to injury.

“It’s been a pretty frustrating few years for me personally and to do well tonight, that was pretty special for me,” Whiteman said.

“Running back for two late in my innings I felt a twinge. I haven’t had too many soft tissue injuries in my career, so I’ve been pretty lucky, but we’ll wait and see.

“I put ice on it straight away. Hopefully it’s not too bad, but we’ll assess it over the next few days.”

Whiteman, 26, believed Perth’s tally of 9-177 was about par on a good batting pitch.

“Both sides were playing pretty fearless cricket and it just ebbed and flowed,” he said. “I thought we fought our way back into the game really well and losing in the last over is always disappointing.”

Coulter-Nile was superb for the Scorchers, taking an economical 1/23 off his four overs and blasting 31 not out from 15 balls, including three sixes in the last over of Perth’s innings.

He wasn’t ready to give up on another finals berth.

Camera IconWhiteman has struggled to hold his spot this season.Picture: Getty Images

“If it’s mathematically still possible then we can still hold on to hope. But we’re 3-6 so we’ve only got ourselves to blame,” Coulter-Nile said.

The all-round showing underlined his credentials for a berth in Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad, after selectors cited injury for leaving Coulter-Nile out of this week’s one-day international series. The paceman said he had worked hard on his batting.

“I’d scratched around for the first 10 balls, so I thought I’d better get on with it,” he said. “Luckily AJ was hitting a few down the other end so it didn’t look too bad.

“I’d like our batters to score runs first. But yeah I’d love to get a crack every game. It’s something I work hard on and something that’s coming along pretty well. So the more chances I can get to do it the better.”